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The Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. It was ratified on July 1, 1971, and states that the right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age. The drive to lower the voting age gained momentum in the 1960s, due in part to the military draft during the Vietnam War, which conscripted young men between the ages of 18 and 21 to serve in the armed forces. This discrepancy led to the slogan old enough to fight, old enough to vote, which became a rallying cry for the youth voting rights movement.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Amendment | Twenty-Sixth Amendment |
| Date of Ratification | 1st July 1971 |
| Voting Age Before Amendment | 21 |
| Voting Age After Amendment | 18 |
| Section 1 of the Amendment | The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age. |
| Section 2 of the Amendment | The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. |
| Time Taken for Ratification | 2 months |
| Number of States Required for Ratification | 38 |
| States Refusing to Lower Voting Age | 17 |
| Previous Attempts to Lower Voting Age | Georgia in 1943, limited to white youth due to Jim Crow laws |
| Slogan of Proponents | "Old enough to fight, old enough to vote" |
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What You'll Learn
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment
> The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.
Before the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, states had the authority to set their own minimum voting ages, which was typically 21. The drive to lower the voting age to 18 grew across the country during the 1960s, driven in part by the military draft held during the Vietnam War. Young men between the ages of 18 and 21 were being conscripted into the armed forces and sent to fight and possibly die for their nation, yet they were not allowed to vote until the age of 21. This discrepancy led to the emergence of a youth voting rights movement, with the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote".
The youth voting rights movement gained ground in some states, and in 1943 Georgia became the first state to lower the voting age to 18 in state and local elections. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first president to publicly support prohibiting age-based denials of suffrage for those 18 and older. In 1965, Congress voted to add an amendment to the Voting Rights Act, lowering the voting age to 18 in federal, state, and local elections nationwide. However, the Supreme Court later held in the case of Oregon v. Mitchell that Congress could not lower the voting age for state and local elections. This decision meant that states could maintain 21 as the voting age in state and local elections but would be required to establish separate voter rolls so that voters between 18 and 21 could vote in federal elections.
Recognizing the confusion and costs that would be involved in maintaining separate voting rolls, Congress quickly proposed the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, which was ratified by three-quarters of the states by July 1, 1971. The Amendment established a nationally standardized minimum age of 18 for participation in state and federal elections. In the decades since its ratification, the United States has experienced unprecedented levels of youth voter turnout in recent elections.
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Youth voting rights movement
The Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which came into effect on July 1, 1971, lowered the federal voting age from 21 to 18. The youth voting rights movement has a long history in the United States, with young people advocating for a lower voting age as early as the 1940s. During World War II, the minimum age to be drafted into the US military was lowered from 21 to 18, creating a discrepancy where young men were fighting and dying for their country but were denied the right to vote. This led to the emergence of the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote", which became a rallying cry for the youth voting rights movement.
In 1943, Georgia became the first state to lower the voting age to 18 in state and local elections, although this was limited to white youth due to the implementation of Jim Crow laws. Despite this progress, efforts to lower the voting age at the federal level stalled, and it wasn't until the 1960s that the movement gained widespread public support. The Vietnam War brought renewed attention to the "old enough to fight, old enough to vote" slogan, and young people's participation in the civil rights movement and other social and political causes of the time also contributed to the growing support for lowering the voting age.
In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower called on Congress to propose a constitutional amendment allowing citizens to vote at the age of 18. However, it wasn't until 1970 that Congress voted to add an amendment to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, lowering the voting age to 18 in federal, state, and local elections nationwide. This was in part due to the efforts of youth activists and their allies, who argued that young people were being required to fight and die for their nation but were not given a say in the government's decision to wage war.
Even after the passage of the Twenty-sixth Amendment, youth voting rights continued to face challenges. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of youth activism around voting rights, with young people advocating for the removal of barriers that make it difficult for them to exercise their right to vote. This has led to initiatives such as the Youth Voting Rights Act, which aims to expand youth voting access nationwide by addressing issues such as ballot rejections, lack of accessible polling places, and restrictive residency and voter ID requirements.
Today, youth voters continue to face obstacles such as voter suppression efforts and inaccessible polling locations. However, there is also increasing youth activism and engagement around a range of issues that disproportionately impact young people, including racism, police brutality, climate change, and gun violence. As young people continue to recognize their power and responsibility to shape the country, their participation in the democratic process becomes increasingly important.
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Old enough to fight, old enough to vote
The "old enough to fight, old enough to vote" slogan has been a rallying cry for youth voting rights since World War II. During the war, the minimum age to be drafted into the US military was lowered to 18, creating a discrepancy where young men were expected to fight and die for their nation but were denied the right to vote. This sparked a decades-long debate over lowering the voting age, which was previously set at 21.
The drive to lower the voting age gained momentum in the 1960s, fueled by the military draft during the Vietnam War. With young men between 18 and 21 being conscripted to serve in the armed forces, the discrepancy between their lack of voting rights and their eligibility to fight in a war became even more pronounced. This led to the emergence of a youth rights movement, advocating for the voting age to be lowered with the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote".
In 1943, Georgia became the first state to lower the voting age to 18 in state and local elections, although this was limited to white youth due to the implementation of Jim Crow laws. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower called on Congress to propose a constitutional amendment allowing citizens to vote at the age of 18. However, it wasn't until the 1960s, with the escalation of the Vietnam War, that widespread public support for lowering the voting age gained momentum.
Despite the growing support, there was still opposition to extending voting rights to young people. Some questioned the maturity and responsibility of 18-year-olds, arguing that they lacked the good judgment essential for citizenship. However, proponents of lowering the voting age highlighted the increasing high school graduation rates and young people's access to political information, indicating their preparation for the responsibilities of citizenship.
Finally, on July 1, 1971, the 26th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified, lowering the voting age to 18. This amendment ensures that the right to vote for citizens of the United States who are 18 years of age or older shall not be denied or abridged by any state on account of age. The amendment passed faster than any other constitutional amendment, demonstrating the power of the "old enough to fight, old enough to vote" movement in securing voting rights for young Americans.
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The Vietnam War
Following the defeat of the French Union in the First Indochina War, Vietnam gained independence in 1954 but was divided into two at the 17th parallel. The Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh, took control of North Vietnam, while the US supported the untested regime of Ngo Dinh Diem in South Vietnam. The US had provided funding, armaments, and training to South Vietnam's government and military since this partition.
Tensions escalated into armed conflict, and in 1961, US President John F. Kennedy expanded the military aid program, committing US soldiers to the region. By 1963, Kennedy had increased US involvement in South Vietnam to 16,000 military advisors and sent more aid, but this failed to produce results. Kennedy's successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, continued to increase US involvement. Following the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, Congress authorised him to increase military presence further without declaring war. Johnson deployed combat troops, increasing deployment to 184,000 by 1966 and 536,000 by 1969.
The North Vietnamese supplied and directed the Viet Cong, a common front of dissidents in the south, intensifying a guerrilla war. In 1958, North Vietnam invaded Laos, establishing the Ho Chi Minh trail to supply the Viet Cong. By 1963, North Vietnam had sent 40,000 soldiers of its People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), armed with Soviet and Chinese weapons, to fight in the insurgency in the south.
In 1968, North Vietnam launched the Tet Offensive, which was a tactical defeat but convinced many Americans that the war could not be won. Johnson's successor, Richard Nixon, began "Vietnamization" in 1969, which saw an expanded Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) as US forces withdrew. The 1970 Cambodian coup d'état resulted in a PAVN invasion and a US-ARVN counter-invasion, escalating Cambodia's civil war. Most US troops had withdrawn from Vietnam by 1972, and the rest left following the 1973 Paris Peace Accords. However, fighting continued until the 1975 spring offensive and the fall of Saigon to the PAVN, marking the war's end.
The question of who won the Vietnam War is debated. Those who argue for US victory point to their success in most major battles and fewer casualties. However, the US ultimately failed to prevent a communist takeover, with Vietnam reunifying under a communist government in 1976, along with Laos and Cambodia.
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Johnson's proposal in 1968
In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson supported and proposed a constitutional amendment to lower the minimum voting age from 21 to 18 across the United States. This proposal was a significant turning point in the fight for voting rights for young Americans and was a direct response to the growing sentiment that young people were being denied a voice in a democratic society.
At the time of President Johnson's proposal, the Vietnam War was at its peak, and thousands of young Americans were being drafted and sent to fight in a conflict that many did not support. The disconnect between those making the decisions and those facing the consequences was stark. Young people were risking their lives, yet they had no say in the political processes that determined their fate.
Recognizing this injustice, Johnson's proposal argued that if young men were old enough to be drafted and risk their lives for their country, they should also be old enough to have a say in electing its leaders and shaping its policies. This argument gained significant traction and support, especially among the very young people who would benefit from such a change.
The proposal also came at a time of great social and political change in the United States, with the civil rights movement gaining momentum and a growing recognition of the need for broader democratic participation. Johnson's proposal was in line with the spirit of the times, reflecting a broader push for inclusivity and equal rights for all citizens.
The 1968 proposal by President Johnson was a bold and significant step forward in the expansion of voting rights in the United States. It sparked a national conversation and helped lay the groundwork for the eventual ratification of the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age to 18 and guaranteed the voting rights of young Americans.
While there was initial resistance and debate over the proposal, with some arguing that 18-year-olds lacked the maturity or knowledge to vote, the momentum gained by the movement was undeniable. Johnson's proposal played a crucial role in shifting public opinion and set in motion the legal process that ultimately led to the expansion of voting rights for young Americans.
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Frequently asked questions
The Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution lowered the voting age to 18.
The drive to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 was driven in part by the military draft held during the Vietnam War. Young men between the ages of 18 and 21 were conscripted to serve in the military and fight in Vietnam but did not have the right to vote in the government that decided to wage the war. This discrepancy led to the emergence of a youth rights movement with the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote".
The Twenty-sixth Amendment has led to unprecedented levels of youth voter turnout in recent elections. In the 2018 midterm elections, youth voter turnout was the highest since the ratification of the amendment, and in 2020, youth participation reached one of the highest rates in decades.
